December 14, 2007 - Coupons for Free Cans of SNUS Readily Available.. - Initial acceptance of SNUS has been poor. Tobacco companies are in agreement for SNUS to catch on and be a strong seller it's going to require more public awareness and education. As part of the plan in bars patrons are giving a free coupon to try SNUS or after a few drinks and you express interst in SNUS they'll mail you coupons - this is for Marlboro SNUS and Camel SNUS in the Dallas, TX area. In addition, in the same area of the U.S., you can find Camel SNUS coupons tucked away in Sunday newspapers and free weekly publications that can be exchanged at stores for a tin full of smokeless, spitless, tobacco pouches FREE. A local dentist Kyle McCracken believes the tobacco company is marketing the product to younger consumers who do not currently use tobacco products. "It appears in the format that they're using, it is appealing to younger adults and kids," Dr. McCracken noted that Camel Snus is sold in a tin container like Altoids mints. "To me, that resembles candy," he said. "It seems to be that it is more appealing to the younger people." The Camel Snus Web site suggests using its product "at a concert, right in front of security, on a jet from Miami to L.A. or at a bar or club. Critics of Snus—like dental hygienist Lynnette Gonzalez—believe the tobacco industry is targeting a new generation of customers by creating a devious way to get kids addicted without teachers or parents knowing it. They make it look fun," Gonzalez said. "Some of their advertisements say 'bars' or 'when you're riding in cars' and stuff.""We do not want youth to use these products," Howard said. "We do not want to communicate with youth." David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, states that ads are targeting only one audience: Adult tobacco consumers. "We do not want youth to use these products," Howard said - BUT THEY ARE. "We're fighting, it seems, like a no-win battle here trying to get people to stop using tobacco products," Gonzalez said, "and they're giving them out for free." ( "Critics Assail Smokeless Tobacco Giveaway" by Steve Stoler, WFAA-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth, 12/13/2007; Say 'Screw It' to Smoke Breaks with Snus, DC9 at NIGHT, Dallas Observers Blogs - Music, 12/11/2007) We have to win this time or our future leaders - our children will end up nicotine addicts never able to achieve their full potential. Who do you think is going to pick up the Art of SNUSING?? - not inveterate (hard-nosed, long-established, deep-rooted) cigarette smokers but young adults and any youngsters they can entice along the way.(TobaccoWatch.org) INCOMPLETE - Not all links to existing news briefs connected yet..
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December 13, 2007 - Bush vetoes 2nd bill expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)... Wednesday (12/12/2007)was the deadline for Bush to act or let the bill become law. This is his second rejection of a bipartisan effort in Congress to increase funding for the program. Bush's statement said: "This bill does not put poor children first, and it moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction," Ultimately, our nation's goal should be to move children who have no health insurance to private coverage, not to move children who already have private health insurance to government coverage." Bush urged Congress to extend the program at its current funding level before lawmakers leave Washington for their holiday break. Congressional leaders said now will try to extend the SCHIP program into 2008 in basically its current form. The House voted 211-180 late yesterday to put off until January 23, 2008 a vote on overriding the president's veto. ( "Bush Vetoes Kids' Health Bill Again", CBS NEWS, 12/13/2007.) President Bush continues to oppose an increase in cigarette and tobacco taxes to fund the expansion of the SCHIP program.

December 12, 2007 - Michigan Senate Deals Blow To Smoking Ban.. Efforts to ban smoking in Michigan bars, restaurants and other workplaces have hit a road block in the state Senate after being passed by the state House. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, said the ban was bad for business. In other words, the inconvenience those businesses might endure is too great a sacrifice just to improve public health. (thetimesherald.com) "Michigan is one of the most disappointing states when it comes to protecting kids from tobacco and currently spends only a fraction of what the CDC recommends for tobacco prevention," William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ("Michigan ranks 47th in funding programs to prevent youths from smoking" by Santiago Esparza, The Detroit News, 12/12/2007) Detroit is now the poorest city in America, with fully one-third of its residents living below the official federal poverty level. Nearly one half of the city’s children, 47.8 percent, live below the poverty level. Smokefree Laws in U.S. States/Commonwealths/Dist

December 12, 2007 - Altria completes Middleton acquisition.. The Altria Group said yesterday (12/11/2007)that, having received regulatory clearance, it had completed the acquisition of John Middleton, a leading manufacturer of machine-made large cigars, from privately held Bradford Holdings.(Tobacco Reporter) Cigarette consumption has been decreasing for more than 25 years and slipped about 2% between in 2006 year and in 2005. Machine-made cigars shipments, however, grew 4% between 2003 through 2007, per Altria. Middleton, which produces cigars in King of Prussia and Limerick, Pa., saw operating income grow at a 10% compound annual rate during the same period. Black & Mild brand generates 23% of machine-made large cigar sales. The deal, which was the biggest in Altria’s 105-year history, is expected to close by the end of the year. ("Philip Morris Says Have a Cigar" by Mike Beirne, Brandweek, November 6, 2007) See related News Briefs: November 25, 2007, November 24, 2007,November 2, 2007and May 16, 2007. Read more...

December 12, 2007 - Use of smokeless tobacco is a risk factor for cigarette smoking.. The use of smokeless tobacco(ST) in the 7th and 9th grades is a significant risk factor for subsequent smoking even when controlling for other factors. This study assessed the risk of smoking uptake over 2 years in adolescent boys (in grades 7 and 9) who had used ST. We used logistic regression to determine whether the odds of adolescent boys taking up regular smoking over a period of 2 years were greater among initial nonsmokers who used ST, compared with nonusers of ST, after accounting for six well-established predictors of smoking. Initiation of weekly smoking 2 years after baseline was associated with ST use at baseline, even after including dichotomous measures of parent, sibling, or close friend smoking; low academic grades; 30-day alcohol use; and a scale measure of deviant behavior. With these other predictors included in the model, the odds ratio for the association of ST use with weekly smoking after 2 years was strong and significant (OR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.45-4.47, p“Suckers today, smokers tomorrow.”Read more...

December 11, 2007 - Philip Morris will launch Australia's first hand-held electronic smoking device from its South Yarra concept store today (12/11/2007) in a move that has infuriated anti-tobacco groups. Unlike normal cigarettes, the device is said to deliver an "aerosol which gives the consumer the flavor and aroma associated with smoking" and claims to reduce second-hand smoke by more than 90%. Fiona Sharkie, Executive Director of Quit Victoria said the Heatbar had been a "miserable failure" overseas. She accused Philip Morris of deliberately targeting young people in one of Melbourne's most fashionable retail precincts and called on the Federal Government to investigate the device. It was approved by the former minister for ageing, Christopher Pyne, who was responsible for drug and alcohol policy under the Howard government. The Philip Morris spokesperson conceded that smoking through the device was NO safer than normal cigarettes.Quit Victoria is dedicated to eliminating the pain, illness and suffering caused by tobacco. For more information see: "Revealed: tobacco giant's secret new weapon in the age of smoking bans" by Cameron Houston, June 27, 2007. Click on image to enlarge..Read more...

December 10, 2007 - The study, published in the December 2007 issue of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, examined the use of prospect theory in getting people to quit smoking. Prospect theory maintains that gain-framed messages (“You will live longer if you quit smoking”) should be more effective than loss-framed messages (“You will die sooner if you do not quit smoking”) when attempting to encourage smokers to quit. The research team randomly assigned 258 smokers in a clinical trial in which they received video and printed messages that emphasized either the benefits of quitting smoking or the costs of continuing to smoke. All of the participants also received the antidepressant bupropion for seven weeks. Among the 170 smokers who completed treatment, those who received the more positive, or gain-framed, message were significantly more likely to maintain abstinence than those who received the more negative, or loss-framed, messages. Read more...

December 10, 2007 - - Citigroup tobacco analyst Bonnie Herzog said during CSPNetwork's Tobacco Update CyberConference on Wednesday (12/5/2007)that there are some exciting things that could happen in the next year or two. Kicking off the excitement will be the spinning off of Philip Morris International from Altria Group, which New York City-based Herzog is confident will occur in the first quarter of the year. "I think it will make Philip Morris in the U.S. much more aggressive," she said, referring to the tobacco manufacturer's opportunity to "unleash the beast" within itself. "I think it will encourage them to become much more innovative. I think they will cut costs. I think they will buy back their stock. I think they will look at acquisitions." The company has already shown an interest in acquisitions with its recent intent to purchase the John Middleton cigar company. Herzog speculated on additional acquisition opportunities, including the likelihood that Philip Morris could buy the Swedish Match smokeless tobacco company. Herzog also said it will be Philip Morris' first real opportunity to battle Lorillard Tobacco Co.'s Newport menthol cigarettes; latest conflict. (Growth of menthol cigarettes segment.) While Herzog doesn't expect approval of the current legislation that would put that regulation in the hands of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), she said eventual regulation will occur. (Philip Morris to 'Unleash the Beast'? by Steve Holtz, CSP Daily News, December 10, 2007)Read more...